Cooling device



.Patented dan. 8, 1929,

WILLIAM H. MONROE, 0F CGLFAX, OWA.

COOLNG DEVICE.

Application sled March 29, 1927. serial No. 179,382.

rlhe object of my invention is to provide a cooling device of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, adapted to be mounted in a cabinet supported over a well or holel 1n the ground, in such a manner that the cooling device may be elevated andV lowered into or out of said well for the purpose of cooling food stuff or other material that may be placed in the cooler. l

More specifically it is the object of my 1nvention to provide in that type of cooler employing a cabinet supported above a well for receiving a food container, improved means for elevating and lowering the food container into and out of the well.

A further object is to provide in connection with the cabinet guide members secured to said cabinet and projected downwardly into the well, having slidably mounted thereon the food container, said food container being constructed with a closed bottom so that in case water should run in'to the well after the container has been lowered therein, the same will float and be prevented from tipping over. l

A further object is to provide'an improved guide which may be easily and quickly spliced to adapt the device to be used in wells of Various depths and in connection therewith improved means for slidably mounting the food container to the guides.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth. pointed out in' my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of a well showing in front elevation my improved device and the m anner in which it is mounted in said well. y

Figure 2 is an enlarged, detail, horizontal, sectional view taken through the cabinet and the container.

Figure 3 isa vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Y

Figure l is an enlarged, detail, sectional view showing the manner in which one of the guide members is mounted to the cabinet.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of two adjoining guide sections showing the manner in which they are spliced together.

The numeral 10 indicates a well or suitable hole in the ground, which may be of any desired depth, and provided with a plat-form 11, and said platform 11 being provided with a rectangular opening 12. Mounted on the platform and above the opening l12'is a cabinet 13 having sides, a back/and top member, the front being provided with a door 14. The upper end of the cabinet 13 having a windlass 15 operated by a hand crank 16. Secured to the inner surface of each of the side members of the cabinet 13 is a block 17, said blocks being arranged vertically and near the'upper end. The lower ends of said blocks terminate at a point about midway betweenvthe ends of thel side members. f

Secured to each of the blocks 17 is a vertically arranged guide rail 18,.,each of which 1s made preferably of channel iron with their langesextending inwardly. The lower ends of the members 18 are connected'by a cross member 19. The channels are secured to the blocks 17 by suitable bolts 20; The bolts 2O form the only meansof mounting the guide rails. Mounted between the guide rails 18 1s the cooler 21, which comprises a substantially rectangular food cabinet formed preferably of galvanized sheet metal, having a back 22, side members 23, a top 24, bottom 25 and a short front member 26 yprojecting upwardly from the bottom 25 so that a watertight container is provided in the lower end of the cabinet. That portion of the front above the member 26 is closed by a door 27 slidably mounted in -guideways 28, said door,

being adapted to slide downwardly in front of the member 26 and to be limited against downward movement by means of a cross member 29, the ends of which are secured to the side members 23 of the cabinet, said cross member being mounted in front of the door. The downward movement of the said door is limited by means of a Vhandle 30, secured near the upper end of said door, engaging the cross bar 29 when the door is at its lower limit. A spring catch 31 is provided for supportingl the door in its elevated and closed position. The cabinet or food container 21. is provided with the ordinary shelves 32.

The lower shelf is supported above the upper edge of'the'front member 26 a Considerable distance so that food may be passed to the compartment in the lower end of the container and whenv so placed therein may be` supported below the water level when the container is floating. This greatly assists in keeping the food thus placed cool.

The container 21 is slidably mounted be#V tween the guides 18 by means of brackets com prising flanges 33 arranged in paire'and prov lOO Yright position,` even when loatingi'. .guides also serve to prevent exclssive swingvvthe opening l2 in the'plattorm ll..

Y jected youtwardlyfrom the vside members ot said container in such a manner as to receive the guides 18 between them, in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures l and 2. The outer ends of the flnges 33 are provided with bolts 34 designed to hold the guide rails between said franges. One set oi the anges 33 is mounted 'on the lower endet each ofthe side members,A and another set is mounted at a 4pointmidway between the upper and lower ends of said' side members. By this arrange` ment' thej'food container is free to slide upwardly and downwardly adjacent to said guides; and to always be supported in anrip e ing ofthe foodcontainer when lowered in lthe well.

bracket 37 mounted on the upper end ot said.

food container. A cover 33 is provided for This cover 38 vis provided with an opening- `39 through which the bracket 3'?, the pulley 26 Y Y K `ii'ieans whereby a veryflight and inexpensive guide rail may beY "utilized, such as a threeand theY cable 35 may extend. The said cover 38 is elevated from the opening 12 by engaging the top endk of the food container as the same is moved into positionin the cabinet, the said cover 38 permitted to rest on the platformll as the said container is lowered into the well, thereby providing' means for autoinatically closing the opening 12.

f When. it is desired to splice the rails 1S, the two ends of the rails are placed together and al splicing block 40 placed in the channel. and riveted into position by suitable rivets el, in themanner clearly illustrated in Figure 5. This provides means whereby the said guide rails may be spliced and at the Vsame Vtime,

maintain the symmetrical contour of the outer surface ot the rail rto permit the memfbers 33 to move freely past said joint.

f' Thus it will be seen that I have provided la simple and vinexpensive food cooler which Vmay be used in either a dry well or one containing water. and when used in the latter, the food chamber may be partiallysubmerged if vso desired, thereby greatly increasing` the cooling eiect. By .providing thewater tight compartment in the bottom of the cooler,

means n isA provided for automatically floating the vcontainer Vin case the water should rise withinthe well While the cooler is supported therein, or in case water should acci# dentally `run 'into the dry well.

By providingthe guide rails v13 the toed container is supported against tipping while floating. n

An important feature of my invention lies in the flange members 33 being so arranged that the guide rails are always supported in operative relation with said too-d container. The bolts 34 provide mea-ns whereby the lmembers 33 will always be retained in proper operative relation with the guide rails. 4

I am wellaware that it is not new to provide guide rails for food containers7 but sov far as I am aware no means have beenV provided for retaining` a slender guideV rail in operative relation with the containerin such a manner that the guide rails cannot spring outwardly'and disengage the guide grooves.

` rThis heretofore has been a serious handicap in devices ofthis kin d5 inasmuch as it has been necessary to provide stiff and rigidly mountY ed. guide rails so they may bevretained in operative relation with the coacting'members otv the container. Byproviding enclosed brackets for the `guide rails, I have provided A cooler com nisine' a cabinet Ouide rails ill) depending from said cabinet7 adapted to be f suspended ina well, a food container s ably mounted between said `nude rails. saidiood container comprisingr a substantially rectangular cabinet having a back7 sides, top and bottom members, `and a short lront member from the bottoni endA 'oi'xsaid container. the

upper portionV of saidtront beine' provided with a door. the upper end ot said container being provided withshelves., the bottom shelf being- Vsupported av considerable distance lOl) 

